Category: Ancient Battles

This category are for posts and comments regarding 15 & 28mm historical miniature wargames prior to the Renaissance (Bronze thru Dark Ages) All comments are welcome, but please be mindful to stay on topic.

Well, I promised everyone I would keep them up to date on my progress with the 54mm Spartan Hoplite I had bought from Tin Soldier Miniatures. So on Sunday I had a couple of hours free to put some more work in and this is where I currently am.

I am hoping to get some free time this week and hopefully finish by this weekend. I am really enjoying this scale and I am pretty sure I will be painting this scale much more often now.

With the release this past week of Daniel Mersey’s new set of rules for Medieval Wargaming- it’s time to put together a new army.

A long and detailed look a the rules leaves so much up to the individual player that some choices and selections can become very troublesome. The real struggle is to design a force based on an actual historical army, while keeping some level of tactical flexibility and variation to be fun.

Flag of Flanders

As I am still inspired by my recent trip to Europe and wanting to capitalize on my trips to Liege, Rochefort and Bastogne- I have decided to put together a Flemish Army. And before the Geography Society Members get upset, I know that Flanders is actually in Northern Belgium. So what will my actual force look like?

A key part of my Later Byzantine Army is the inclusion of Western Knights. Keeping with the WAB A0A2 lists, these ‘Western Knights’ are relatively generic in WS and Armor for mounted troop types armed with lances.

When doing my historical research, the few things that were impressed upon me was many ‘Western Knights’ in Byzantine service were more akin to Mercenaries than they were to any Knightly Order or Household Cavalry which originated in Western Europe.

Much of the equipment looks like a mixture of what would be typical for a Byzantine Cavalryman and a Frankish Knight or Sergeant. So using Crusader miniatures, I mixed in both Early Medieval Spanish with Norman troops. It got me close to the look I was wanting, but still being easily identifiable as ‘Non-Byzantines.’

Again, these miniatures were painted using Army Painter brand paints and washes. Little Big Men Studios decals and banners were added after they were done. Here they are for your review.

I don’t know if it has been procastination, work-related distractions or equal portions of both, but I am still working towards completion of my army for the upcoming T3 WAB Championships in Koblenz, Germany- I sometimes think I will be finishing my remaining figures right at the wire.

These Byzantine heavy infantry were painted using Army Painter brand paints, then a heavy wash of AP soft tone. After they were each dry, a few highlights were added. Nothing fancy here, just trying to have them match figures that were painted over 2 years ago using a similar method.

The project was aided by the use of Little Big Men Studios decals on the shields and banner.

Well, it is time to finish of the ground troops. So I added 10 Psiloi Archers and 2 Light Bolt Throwers* with crew (4). Under the rules in WAB, the Later Byzantines do have a wide selection of missile troops, but my experience with WAB has led me to form the solid opinion that it is highly improbable that you can ever shoot an enemy off of the table. My tactics should encourage an opponent to make the first moves on the battlefield and allow me to fight in a more defensive or counter-attack based game.

All of these troops are painted and finished the same way for speed. I used white Armory Brand Primer, followed by flat colors (all of which are Army Painter Brand Paints): Dragon Red, Skeleton Bone, Leather Brown, Oak Brown (on the bows), Barbarian Flesh, Black and Plate Mail. Then washing the whole model in AP Soft Tone Wash- simply amazing! Allow it to thoroughly dry and then touch up the white, metal and red (with Pure Red). The models were based with sand, then Desert Yellow followed by a dry brush of Skeleton Bone. The grass is AP Jungle Tuff. The red line effect is achieved by using a red Sharpie Brand Micro-Pen. Sealed with Dullcote. Total time from beginning to end- 9-10 hours (2 days). Here they are for your review.

Byzantine Bolt Thrower & Psiloi Archers.

*= Bolt Throwers (not crew) had been previously painted and is part of my EIR Roman Army. Bolt Throwers are from Warlord Games.

In the seemingly never-ending quest to finish 3000 points of Later Byzantines for the Worlds WAB GT in August, I have finished another 26 Byzantine Crossbowmen.

I am trying to keep with a color theme of simple white for levy/skirmishers, I added accents of red. Well this is quick and simple, primers, base colors, AP Soft Tone wash and then some white touch-up work afterwords. Sealed with Dullcote.

On Friday, I received another Roman Marching Camp from my pal Mike G. of Hallowed Ground Terrain. In preparation for his release of a new line of Roman Era wargaming terrain, I painted up a second (and complete) set of what is to be released.

It is Mike’s hope that between the painting styles that historical gamers and modelers will see the versatility of the product. Sticking with tons of historical research, this Marching Camp is painted in mid-earth tones to represent a wide range of topography throughout Europe.

As was common with many Early Imperial Roman Marching Camps, sections of earthen sod were cut from the earth to form an embankment, with exterior ravine. The embankment was then topped by a wooden palisade. Well here it is for your review.

This is all of the earthen sections (10), gates(4) and turns(4) that come in the set. 12 sections of fence are included (4 shown).A detail of the turns, gates and fence sections.A close up view of the earthen sections.A view a gate section with adjoining walls. The fences are not glued into place.Another view of a few pieces placed together (2 earthen sections, 1 gate and 1 bent section)

Well as many of you know, Mike Garner is the co-host of the Historical Wargames Podcast and one of the guys behind Hallowed Ground Terrain. Well as part of their new releases, they are producing a 15mm scale Roman Marching Fort. Well I agreed to paint up a few pieces for his display at Historicon. Since I have to mail it to California, I only placed a couple pieces of the fencing in place. Well here is the first one for your review.

View without fencing (1)View without fencing (2)View of Fencing and Gateway (1).

Paint, paint, paint. The love and joy of the wargamer is never done. The labor and love, sometimes combined with frustration, are feelings most of us dedicated to the hobby share in common. After a disaterous application of an old can of GW Matte Varnish Spray to a freshly painted group of shields, with beautiful LBMS shield transfers… After cussing and having to throw 10 shields into Simple Green, a few hours later I started fresh and went with a much more simple shield design and paint job. Now my 10 Byzantine Psiloi are now done. Here they are for your review.